Worried I tore my stitches after a bowel movement! (Might be TMI)

No one ever warned me about how terrible the postpartum bowel movements would be ... I am two weeks postpartum from having a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section) delivery that involved forceps and resulted in a second degree tear + an internal sulcus tear in the vaginal muscle. I've had a decent amount of pain and have been sitting on a donut pillow for the last two weeks. I also have hemorrhoids that have made sitting particularly painful. In the beginning I was taking a stool softener once a day but had stopped since I've had two successful bowel movements. I've been feeling a lot better recently and was glad to be able to finally feel more like myself - and then today happened.

I had the most intense bowel movement of my life - I was literally sitting on the toilet shaking, sweating and crying. I know the nurse had told me I could push gently but not to strain, and I wasn't able to pass anything because the stool was too compacted. I had to yell for my husband to come up and pleaded with him to run up to the drugstore to get a suppository. After using it, I finally was able to have a bowel movement, but it was very painful and left me feeling completely sore. And now a few hours afterward, I'm having a lot of pain moving around. I'm terrified that I tore my stitches since I was on the toilet for so long.

In addition to the pain I'm feeling now, for the last several days I've been experiencing some itching down below and I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Does that mean I'm healing or could it be infected? And what about an odor on the pads that I use? Is that normal? I change them regularly so it's not like I'm not keeping clean down there.

Comments (20)

I do not think you can tear your stitches having a BM, but you can seriously irritate hemorrhoids and make yourself swell from the pressure and position. Take an ibuprofen and resume the softeners or use miralax (works better for me).

I was cut with my first and had 10 stiches. I tore the same stitch twice the first week. Once getting on our tall bed and the other while having a BM. It hurt but didn't actually hurt anything. At 2 weeks out you should be fairly healed so the stitches aren't actually needed so just waiting on your body to dissolve them. Itching is pretty normal for healing and the stitches dissolving. An infection would just increasingly painful not so much itchy.

I do not think you can tear your stitches having a BM, but you can seriously ...

Posted
08/26/2017

I do not think you can tear your stitches having a BM, but you can seriously irritate hemorrhoids and make yourself swell from the pressure and position. Take an ibuprofen and resume the softeners or use miralax (works better for me).

I actually picked up some miralax at the store so plan to start on that tomorrow! I had already taken a stool softener today. Never want to experience that kind of pain again!

I was cut with my first and had 10 stiches. I tore the same stitch twice the ...

Posted
08/26/2017

I was cut with my first and had 10 stiches. I tore the same stitch twice the first week. Once getting on our tall bed and the other while having a BM. It hurt but didn't actually hurt anything. At 2 weeks out you should be fairly healed so the stitches aren't actually needed so just waiting on your body to dissolve them. Itching is pretty normal for healing and the stitches dissolving. An infection would just increasingly painful not so much itchy.

Speaking of pads, have you (or has anyone) heard that the Always pads are bad to use after delivery? I didn't know anything about that and those are the kind I'm using. I came across an an online forum about it. Something about the weaving?

Speaking of pads, have you (or has anyone) heard that the Always pads are bad to use after delivery? I didn't know anything about that and those are the kind I'm using. I came across an an online forum about it. Something about the weaving?

Hadn't heard of this and have been using them. What does the weaving supposedly do?

Speaking of pads, have you (or has anyone) heard that the Always pads are bad to use after delivery? I didn't know anything about that and those are the kind I'm using. I came across an an online forum about it. Something about the weaving?

I went with the always infinite pads this time and feel in love with them. I did bleed longer than last time but I figured that was because it was a more traumatic birth. What does the weaving have to do with it?

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